heir ketchum (might change)
by shane3749
Summary: what happens when Red Ketchum the Kanto champions son Ash finally goes out on his Pokémon journey prepared to face the world no!pairing(yet) smart!ash au reds!son!ash
1. 8 years ago part 1

Ash Ketchum was an only child. He never knew his dad but he didn't care. He was only five, it rarely occurred to him to think about his father much less ask about him. Besides his mommy got sad when she talked about him and he didn't want his mommy sad, nuh uhh, no way! Anyways who needs a daddy anyways he thought after all, all the other kids had daddy's and he didn't see what was so special 'bout them Gary's dad was always busy and leaf's dad had lines on his face and Kyle's dad was just scary. No, Ash didn't need a dad and that was final.

Done with his thoughts and tired from thinking so long he stood up from his position with his back to the trunk of a tall tree situated in his back garden, and set to his next task climbing it he reached up for the nearest branch but it was too far away he stood on tiptoes and his fingertips brushed the sides of the branch "_come on"_ he jumped and… _yes _he got his arm around the branch and using all his strength pulled himself onto it. He took a minute to rest before continuing to climb up. Once you got up the first branch it was simple to climb to the top of the sturdy tree, well not the very top he couldn't climb up there 'cause his mommy said it would break and he might fall but he could climb up most of the way and that suited him just fine, after all, he only wanted to get to roof level. Soon he reached a very particular branch; a while ago he had discovered it. It hung right in over the roof so it was just what he needed. He paused for a break again and remembered when he had first discovered his destination.

_Flashback_

_Ash was four and it was Christmas. He and his mommy were going into the attic to look for decorations for the tree_ _but this was his first time going into the attic and he was scared. "Come on ash" his mother encouraged gently. "It's okay, I'm right here." "buh… buh… buh… wha if dere's a monser owr a bwad po-ke-mon" he said pronouncing Pokémon extra carefully. "Then we'll just have to call professor oak won't we" his mother reassured. Ash took a tentative step forward. "Pwoffessowr Oak?" he queried. "Uh hu and he'll have to bring Gary over while he gets rid of the Pokémon." Ash smiled. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Delia nudged. Ash nodded grinning happily "okay how about this I'll call them over _if_ you come up to the attic and help me." Ash's smile left his face and fear flashed in his eyes before it was replaced by determination. He took one step on the ladder then another and then he rushed up the rest and hurled himself into the cluttered storage room. He quickly looked everywhere for a monster and, on seeing none, sighed in relief before his eyes went wide with wonder, this room was amazing._

_ Piles of old furniture and dusty boxes towered over him like huge fingers and the ground made a funny noise when he walked. He ran around laughing the whole time, pulling out anything that caught his eye. Delia smiled and began to hunt for the Christmas decorations she was sure they were over _there_, but it could have been _that_ way too she pondered for a moment then sighed. This could take a while!_

_ Meanwhile Ash was on the other side of the room stretching up to reach a toy train. He put his hand on the pile and then suddenly bang the box he was resting on fell out of place, along with all the ones on top of it! He wheeled around and jumped back in surprise. In the process hitting another pile behind him knocking that down too soon everything on that side of the attic was falling. _

_ "Ash" screamed Delia racing towards the bawling child as the atticlaunch rumbled to a stop "Ashy! Are you okay? Calm down honey, calm down." She scooped him up and rocked him gently. Slowly Ash's tears gave way to sniffles and soon subsided. "Come on Ashy let's go back downstairs." She said deciding to come back up for the decorations later. But as they turned to go something caught Ash's eye._

_ In the wall that was previously hidden behind the boxes ash dropped was an ornate double door sealed shut with a heavy looking, slightly rusty iron bolt. Ash absently noticed that what he at first thought to be metal shapes on the outside were really deep grooves cut into the wood but before he could look closer he was pulled from his thoughts by his mother replying "I…don't know." Delia wasn't worried, it really was an old house and their _"attic"_ could easily have been someone else's top floor. She was, however, curious as to what was inside. _


	2. 8 years ago part 2

_Previously on __**Heir Ketchum**_

_Delia wasn't worried it really was an old house their _attic _could easily have been someone else's top floor. She was however curious as to what was inside…_

Chapter 2: 8 years ago part 2

Ash pulled himself out of the trance he was in and realised he was still standing in the tree. He quickly and nimbly jumped the whole way onto a flat ledge in the roof, where originally there was meant to be a window. Obviously for one reason or another it was removed from the original plans and a trap door was put in the ledge. But it worked out for ash as the trapdoor was right over his "room" in the attic. It wasn't his bedroom; his bedroom was downstairs on the second story of the house, but this was his room none-the-less.

Originally it was completely empty and delia had wanted to move some of the clutter from the outside attic in and tidy up a bit, but ash had convinced her to let him keep it as his "playroom". It had taken lots of begging a hidden trapdoor that led to the guest bedroom and lots more begging but she agreed.

The real dealbreaker was when he offered to tidy up the attic. For most people, a four-almost-five year old cleaning was a bad thing but, for unknown reasons Ash was a very organised child.

So ash got his playroom and a year later moved into the guest room beneath.

He still wasn't finished cleaning the attic, or even nearly finished as it was a lot bigger than he had thought, and he hadn't really worked on it more than a few minutes at a time, a few days a month, since December three months ago.

But there would be no work done on it today, as he had big news. Earlier that day, at his moms prompting, he had asked Professor Oak if he could help out at the pokemon lab. To learn more about caring for pokemon , trainers and pokemon in general; the esteemed researcher and poet had at first been doubtful, but soon gave in to the young boys determination.

The only downside to this was that he would see Gary everyday. The two used to be best friends until one day something changed in gary. He started to boast about how his grandpa was the best in the world, and how that meant he was too. It had gone on for a week before ash had had enough. He confronted gary about it in school the next day.

He didn't remember everything, just that they wound up shouting at each other, surrounded by the other students, with the teachers looking on conflicted over what to do and who's parents to call. Ash was easily winning until gary brought out his trump card.

_Flashback_

_"you know what? Your just a good for nothing, fatherless son of a maid; who will never become a pokemon master!_

_End flashback_

That had hit Ash hard and the silent students had begun to whisper frantically. Ash's father was a taboo subject among the whole town. Nobody asked about him nobody spoke about him and most of all nobody shouted about him at Ash or Delia. The teachers had finally stepped in before it came to blows but the damage was done. Ash had been reduced to a snivelling mess and hadn't shown up for school till the following Monday. And all the students had taken sides. Most sided with gary, and though a few had tried to stand up for Ash, they were quickly shot down and eventually they all joined gary's side.

It had been bad for Ashsince the whole school was picking on him, nothing extreme, just calling him names, tripping him up, that kind of thing. The teachers had tried to stop it but there was very little they could do besides call parents. And the parents flat out refuse to believe their children were bullies, claiming Ash was paranoid or else just making it up to get their little _angels_ in trouble.

Soon Ash just withdrew from social gatherings altogether and spent most of his time walking in the forest or reading about pokemon in his room. But now he was working at the ranch he would have plenty to do.

A while ago, he had discovered a book about an old martial art based mostly on meditation. It was entitled Herejitsu; The Art Of Truth Of Self. Interested he had read it and decided to try some of the techniques. It had taken a while to grasp the basics, but after that he had taken to it like a house on fire.

**authors note **

**so sorry bout the mix up with the chapter it was just my computer spazing out**

**forgive me please review with the answer!**

**and thanks to Jangled Chronos for pointing that out!**


	3. Mornin' at the Ranch

**Author Note: Just one or two things that you need to know before you read this chapter. Ash is thirteen, his birthday is July 1****st****. In this fic you have to be thirteen to get a pokemon and start a journey. This isn't because I don't like the whole ten year old rule, I totally respect the producers decision to make the age limit 10 it was a good marketing move and explained ash's stupidity. It just fit's my story better to make it thirteen. That's all!**

**Previously On Heir Ketchum:**

** A while ago, he had discovered a book about an old martial art based mostly on meditation. It was entitled Herejitsu; The Art Of Truth Of Self. Interested he had read it and decided to try some of the techniques. It had taken a while to grasp the basics, but after that he had taken to it like a house on fire. **

**Chapter 3: Present Day**

Ash woke up at 6:00am and rolled out of bed. He quickly dressed in his work clothes, alight pair of trackies and a black t-shirt, and set out for his morning run. He jogged the long way around pallet town on his way to work at the pokemon ranch and adjoining lab.

What had started as a voluntary part-time job as a go-fer had quickly turned into a well-paid full-time job as ranch head and assistant to the manager. Officially he only had to be there at nine to be prepared for the professor's arrival. He could easily have hired a helper to do the actual work with the pokemon, but he preferred to do it himself he had grown to enjoy the early starts and he really loved the pokemon.

He ran to the feed shed and panting slightly prepared the special feeds for the pokemon each pokemon had a preference. Butterfree and bug types preffered sweet food while rock types like to chew theirs for ages. Fire types liked moist food, but grass types liked spicy food. It was a bit strange, but it was true. Of course not all were like this, there was one butterfree that loved tough food and a ponyta that only ate bitter. Among others. But that's what ash loved about pokemon you think you know something and then suddenly one goes and your back to phase one.

Done with the food he whistled and after a few sconds the ground shook violently. Talking outloud to the air he said. "I know your excited but could you go get the others? Please?" the ground rumbled again and then suddenly the rumble moved down the hill and out across the ranch and it's grounds. Ash smiled and quickly began to pour the food in to the appropriate troughs he had barely finished when the rumbling returned and then stopped. For a moment there was calm until… crash a gian rock burst from the ground and it was follow closely by another and another. It was soon evident that it wasn't single rock one after the other but a whole chain of them attached together. "on…onix" the rock snake pokemon roared. Ash's smile widened. "Thanks onix" he said gratefully. The enormous pokemon bent down and nuzzled him. Grinning Ash wrapped his arms around its head and hugged it back. By then the other pokemon had finally arrived and started eating. "Go on." Ash said. "Eat up." Onix sighed and slowly went to eat. "and remember, I'll know if you haven't" Ash warned. Onix began to eat.

The onix had a problem, when it was younger it could find very little to eat, so now it didn't eat much without encouragement. It was getting better but Ash was worried that if he left it would stop eating again.

Suddenly he spun round and smiled at the sight that met his eyes, before him stood a brilliant creamy gold horse with a mane and tail made of flames that danced merrily and a beautifully elegant spiral horn in the centre of it's forehead.

"Hello Rapidash" he said cheerfully grining from ear to ear.

The Rapidash was still young just like Onix. It's previous trainer had caught it as a ponyta and used a psychic type alakazam to force it to evolve. He lost one battle with it and abandond it. He used one of his pokemon, a Scyther, to knock it out. But in the process left a long deep gash on its left side. When Ash found Rapidash it was bleeding badly and barely alive, in the end they saved her, but she still had a scar on her left side. Ever since then she was terrified to battle.

He stood at the barn door and looked down on his pokemon with pride. Even if most of them were other trainers pokemon, he still felt responsible for them. And he considered them his own, at least partially.

He glanced at his watch 10:30am half an hour till professor oak would arrive. Taking one last glance at the pokemon still eating he started to run off to the lab, to prepare the office for professor oak. He got there took a quick sweep of the office and sighed. Just like professor oak to leave his office a tip.

There was papers on the floor and three coffee cups perched precariously on the edge of the desk. The rest of the desk was covered in folder and document papers, empty pens and broken pencils littered every available surface. It was shaping up to be a long morning. Ash started to clean up and organise the papers, then he rounded up the pens and pencils and finally he replaced the old coffee cups with a new one. He was just finishing up when he heard the automatic doors slide open. He turned just in time to hear the very familiar voice of the pokemon professor speaking with someone he couldn't see. "That's all for now at least. Ok, ok, bye." The professor put his phone away and set about boiling the kettle. Ash decided to scare him and, with a misceivious grin he crept forward. Taking a deep breath he said "Hello professor."


End file.
